How-To Geek

Many of my friends and relatives think that a router is a plug-and-play type of thing. You plug it in, you connect, it works, you're done.

I've been trying to be more intentional about how I work on my PC, and a big part of that has been moving toward a keyboard-first workflow. Not because the mouse is bad, but because I kept noticing how much time I was losing to it. Dragging windows into place, hunting for the right app, re-finding something I just had opened five seconds ago. Once I started paying attention, it was hard to unsee how often the mouse was pulling me out of whatever I was trying to focus on.

Home Assistant is by far the strongest of all the smart home platforms, but even the best solutions have room for improvement. Though I’ll continue to recommend Home Assistant to everyone and anyone who’ll listen, it doesn’t hurt to be aware of these limitations.

Are you learning Bash or wishing to improve error handling in your scripts? The rules governing errors can be a little tricky to understand, so I've put together this bite-sized guide to untangle their mystery.

When your PC's operating system gets corrupted, or if an update fails, or a drive gets damaged, you need to be ready—or be prepared to spend a lot of time trying to get it back up running. Thankfully, it's just as simple as grabbing a thumb drive and getting it up and running as a rescue drive.

The Raspberry Pi is a box of tricks that can do almost anything you’d want from a small computer in the home. It can run a smart home server, host cloud storage, and even replace your Roku as a full-blown media center. But limitations do exist, and I’ve recently run into one.

You might have read my colleague Arol's recent advice to stop partitioning your SSD, and I think he makes some legitimate points. However, as someone who has been partitioning their drives for decades, SSD or not, I'd like to remind everyone that there are important reasons you should partition your SSDs.

Yes, Bridgerton is back on the menu as part of Netflix's list of new titles coming to the streamer in February. But as we go boldly into the year's second month, since it's also the shortest, that means you have even less time to take in the pile of movies and shows that will be leaving soon.

Luxury sedans often come with premium price tags, but one Korean contender is changing expectations in 2025 by delivering upscale refinement at a surprisingly accessible cost. While brands like Lexus have long set the benchmark for comfort and quality, this model undercuts its pricier rivals without sacrificing the premium experience that buyers crave. For shoppers who want sophistication and value, it’s quickly becoming a compelling alternative in the luxury segment.

Microsoft Paint has been a classic app in Windows for decades, but I haven't liked recent changes—especially the forced introduction of Copilot, which brings AI features. So, I found a free and open-source alternative to use instead.

The Nvidia Shield TV is an iconic device, right up there with the Nexus One and Moto DROID. Many people consider it to be the best streaming device despite the fact that the latest model is over five years old. That’s because Nvidia is still supporting even the oldest models, and apparently, it doesn’t plan on stopping.

As you settle in for another cold weekend indoors, do it with no worries about what you’re going to watch, thanks to Amazon Prime Video. While their library of new content grows, their selection of previously released titles remains fresh and very much in your face, which I appreciate.

Things continue to ramp up in 2026, with Prime Video releasing all the goods on its February movie and TV show lineup. For the year's shortest month, the streaming behemoth is packing it to the rafters with more than 70 new titles, spanning genres from classic comedies, dramas, and action flicks to new documentaries and thrillers.

Winter Storm Fern, the name given to the massive storm by The Weather Channel, impacted over 200 million Americans and spanned 34 states. While it’s best to stay home when such fierce storms and blizzards move through our communities, sometimes it’s just not possible.

I'm convinced that Alex Honnold is not real. Case in point: Honnold climbed Taipei 101 without a rope. Oh, and he did it live on Netflix for millions to watch. A death-defying stunt like scaling a building without a rope exercises every emotion—fear, anxiety, admiration, and relief come to mind. If this was your first experience with a Honnold climb, welcome. Believe it or not, Taipei 101 isn't even Honnold's greatest accomplishment.

If you're currently renting a modem and/or router from your internet service provider (ISP), I'm here to tell you that you should stop—for multiple reasons. You might be wasting your money, sometimes in the hundreds of dollars, and you could be getting better performance, too.

In a market where luxury often comes with a hefty price tag, one compact sedan proves you don’t have to overspend to enjoy a premium driving experience. Audi has long been associated with refined interiors and composed handling, and this small sedan brings those strengths into a more attainable package. It blends upscale comfort, thoughtful design, and modern technology in a way that feels more expensive than its compact footprint — making it a standout choice for buyers who want premium without paying luxury pricing.

Rumors and leaks usually lead to real products, but that’s not always the case with Apple. Remember the Apple Car? So, when rumors of an iPhone Fold started popping up, people were understandably skeptical. The evidence is getting hard to ignore, though.

Keyboards are among the most used everyday items in the world, yet most people still use mushy membrane keyboards. These keyboards dominate the market because they're cheap to make, not because they offer a good experience. Here's why everyone should stop using them.

Sensors are some of the most important smart home devices you can buy. While products such as smart bulbs and smart plugs make your home easy to control, sensors are the things that can tell those devices when to spring into action. Not all sensors are created equal, however. You may be missing out on some of the most useful sensors you can buy.